Nearly 100 migrants died or went missing in the central and eastern Mediterranean Sea in the month of January, more than double the number reported in the same timeframe last year, writes Euronews.

The findings were reported by the UN migration agency on Monday, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), during the Italy-Africa summit in Rome.

On its opening day, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni presented a plan for Africa’s development which her government hopes will curb migration from the continent to Europe.

“The latest record of deaths and disappearances is a stark reminder that a comprehensive approach that includes safe and regular pathways [...] is the only solution that will benefit migrants and states alike,” Amy Pope, director general of the IOM, said during the summit.

According to the IOM"s figures, the number of migrants dying in the Mediterranean Sea has risen significantly in the past year. The organisation’s Missing Migrants Project found that 3,041 migrants died or went missing in the Mediterranean Sea in 2023, a sharp rise from 2,411 in 2022, and the highest number since 2017.